Medical School Grades

Once you get an interview, your interpersonal skills and how you are perceived by the residents, faculty, and program director becomes the deciding factor. Basically, you need to put on your game day face, be positive, thoughtful, grateful for being considered, and above all, avoid being arrogant or pompous. Remember, many programs include the secretary as part of the decision-making process, so you have to be friendly to everyone no matter what goes wrong, and most likely, it will.

How Important Are Medical School Grades To Getting Into A Residency?

The answer is – it depends! While it is easy to exclaim grades are very important, the fact is the answer to this question has a high degree of variability. The reality is that during your basic sciences and clinical rotations, you should always do your very best to earn the highest grades possible while simultaneously spending a portion of your time every day doing practice questions. However, based on data from the National Resident Matching Program, grades might not be as important as you think. That being said, if grades had zero value, would you not study hard? The reality is that those that try the hardest and learn the most, in general, achieve the greatest success.

Medical schools typically use a grading system to stratify students by rank and quartile. Many also use a pass-fail system which makes it difficult for program directors to value your “grade” when determining if you should be interviewed. Studies of program directors have shown that grades in basic science and clerkships, and class rank, are low in the top 10 considerations for most program directors.

The most important considerations for most program directors are USMLE® Step 1 and 2 and COMLEX® Step 1 and 2; letters of recommendation, the dean’s letter, and personal statement. Starting in 2022, with the USMLE® Step 1 moving to pass-fail, this score will drop significantly in importance.

Once you get an interview, your interpersonal skills and how you are perceived by the residents, faculty, and program director becomes the deciding factor. Basically, you need to put on your game day face, be positive, thoughtful, grateful for being considered, and above all, avoid being arrogant or pompous. Remember, many programs include the secretary as part of the decision-making process, so you have to be friendly to everyone no matter what goes wrong, and most likely, it will.

I remember one student showed up for his interview in jeans and a t-shirt. Of course, the department secretary was aghast, but he sat quietly waiting for his turn. Once he was ushered into my office, he introduced himself and asked me if his poor performance in physics would be held against him. Of course, I responded, “physics?” With a smile on his face, he explained that the pressurized can of black shoe polish blew up in his suit bag and that he should have known better. Needless to say, he matched and turned out to be one of our most pleasant and entertaining residents.

The most important goal is to present yourself in a manner that demonstrates you are a pleasure to be around, that you will work hard, and that you will not cause problems. The “C” you received in embryology is unlikely to be a major factor. Most faculty members conducting the interviews will never even look at your grades. Basically, the hard work you put in during medical school gets you the interview, but how well you interview gets you matched.

Grades are still important because they demonstrate you have a solid knowledge base and that you work hard. If you don’t do well in classes, it is hard to believe you will score well on the USMLE® Step 1 and 2 or COMLEX® Step 1 and 2. Demonstrating that you learned as much as possible will most likely be a positive factor in getting you considered for an interview, but board scores, letters of recommendation, and dean’s letter will look a lot better if your grades are great.

Remember, when writing letters or recommendations and dean’s letter, in addition to mentioning you are a hard worker, punctual, and have a pleasant personality, the individuals writing those letters will have a lot more to say if they can also mention that you excelled in your coursework.

The simple reality is that many medical schools have a pass/fail system, grades, class rank, and AOA membership probably give you a boost, but it will most likely be your USMLE® Step 1 and Step 2 or your COMLEX® Step 1 and Step to that will matter the most. The fact is that you have already demonstrated you are bright, have the ability to learn, and have a good work ethic. Typically there is not a huge difference in the GPA of the top student to the bottom student.

Matching in your program of choice is still a gamble. Numerous factors will determine whether you get an interview or not. Once you get the interview, you have made the primary cut, and your personality and interview skills are much more likely to determine whether you will match.

For any medical student looking to match in a residency, good grades and academic performance are important, but what is more important is demonstrating you are someone who has the drive and capability and can fit into the program’s training culture. The reality is that grades are a poor measure of your tenacity, courage, work ethic, leadership, and commitment to your training.

As for the question “How important are grades?” The simple answer is, “there is no easy answer to your question, it depends.”

Which Medical Schools are Graded? Which Rank Students?

Every medical school in the United States uses some form of grading policy to measure student performance. These systems can be complex, and it can be difficult to understand how your grades will impact your medical school career. However, it is important to take the time to familiarize yourself with the grading policy used by the schools you are considering. Each school has its own standards for what constitutes a “good” grade, and these standards can vary widely. As you research medical schools, take the time to understand how each school evaluates students so that you can choose the school that best meets your needs.

A shift in grading policies

The numeric system has been historically the most widely grading policy used in the U.S. In this system, each letter grade is assigned a numeric value, and GPAs are calculated by averaging these values. For example, an “A” is worth 4 points, a “B” is worth 3 points, and so on. The advantage of this system is that it allows for easy comparison between students.

However, the numeric system does not take into account factors such as class difficulty or improvement over time. As a result, some medical schools are moving towards a more holistic approach to grading. In this system, grades are viewed as just one part of the student’s overall application. Other factors, such as letters of recommendation and personal statements, are also taken into consideration. Ultimately, medical schools and residency programs are looking for well-rounded applicants who have demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to medicine.

The Pass/Fail grading policy is becoming more widely used by medical schools for preclinical courses

There are several different medical school grading policies in use today. Since the first two years of medical school are heavily focused on coursework, many schools have adopted systems that don’t include letter grading. This enables students to focus on learning difficult material rather than place energy on their class ranking. Many programs have also adopted these “alternative” grading policies to increase the well-being of their students. However, the rigors of medical school still require medical students to be at the top of their game to get that passing mark!

According to the AAMC Report of Grading Systems Used in Medical School Programs, the majority of schools since 2016 have uased a system in which students are graded on a pass or fail basis. Here, we break down the most common grading policies used in medical schools. Keep reading to find out more!

2-tier Pass/Fail Grading Policy(P/F)

• The Pass/Fail system is the most commonly used among MD programs in the U.S.
• Out of about 150 medical progams, approximately 100 schools have consistently used this grading policy.
• Pass-Fail grades typically do not contribute to a student’s overall GPA.
• A “Pass” grade has an average cutoff percentage grade of 68%. This means that all students who earn a cumulative grade of 68% or more get a final grade of “Pass” on their transcript.
• A “Fail” grade requires students to retake the course before advancing. Even if the student retakes a class in which they got an “F,” this mark will be recorded on their transcript.
• After retaking a course, students typically earn a “Remediated Pass” grade.

3-Tier Pass/Fail Grading Policy (H/P/F)

• This 3-tier system adds a layer of motivation for students to excel by including an “Honors” grade (Honors, Pass, Fail).
• A “Pass” grade is an average of 68% or more, similar to the 2-tier Pass/Fail system.
• A “Fail” grade also requires students to retake a course before they can move onto the next semester of classes.

Although these two Pass/Fail systems are similar, the 3-tier Pass/Fail system adds some complexity to grading. It is common for schools that employ a 3-tier Pass/Fail system to rank students in the top 20-25% of their class. These are typically students who recieve “Honors.” Some students may prefer a program with an Honors opportunity. However, others might see this grading policy as being too competitive between class members. It’s up to you to determine what helps you learn best!

…but the Pass/Fail grading policy is less common during clinical clerkship.

A clinical clerkship is a medical student’s opportunity to gain practical experience in patient care. Unlike the classroom environment of medical school, clinical clerkships take place in real-world medical settings such as hospitals and clinics. As a result, the stakes are higher and the pressure to perform is intense. For many students, the thought of not passing a clinical clerkship is simply too much to bear. Fortunately, the pass/fail grading policy is less common during clinical clerkships.

In most cases, students are graded on a scale of honors, high pass, pass, or fail. This allows for a more nuanced evaluation of student performance and gives students a better chance of success. As always, residency placement is highly competitive, but the clinical clerkship grade is just one factor that medical schools will consider when making their decisions. Ultimately, each student’s goal should be to gain the valuable experience and skills that they need to succeed in their future medical career.

The most common kind of grading policies during clinical clerkship are:

4-Tier Pass/Fail Grade System (Honors, High Pass, Pass, Fail)

• Most core clinical clerkships use this grading method.
• This grading policy adds a layer of grading to distinguish mastery of material during rotations.
• Like the other Pass/Fail systems, students must earn at least a “Pass” grade to continue their curriculum.
• Here, “Honors” is typically given to students who get a cumulative grade average of 88% or above. This percentage might differ by program or class. However, “Honors,” always highlights the top students of the class.
• “High Pass,” signifies that the student has done outstanding or above average, but is not quite at the top of their class.

4-Tier grading policy may contribute to an overal GPA by assignming a numeric value to each grade:

• Honors = +4 points
• High Pass = +3 points
• Pass = +2 points
• Fail = 0 points

Most grading policies will vary, so be sure to check with your program of interest!

Letter Grade System

You may already be familiar with the letter grading policy. Most four-year universities and colleges grade on a scale of A to F. However, the letter grading policy is one of the least used systems in medical schools. Because the last two years of medical school are the most complex and hands-on, letter-grading is often used to begin ranking students.

Letter grading usually employs the following 4-point scale, where each grade contributes to an overall GPA:

• A+ = 4.0
• A = 4.0
• A- = 3.7
• B+ = 3.3
• B = 3.0
• B- = 2.7
• C+ = 2.3
• C = 2.0
• C- = 1.7
• D+ = 1.3
• D = 1.0
• F = 0.0

Most medical schools rank students in their last two years only.

How medical schools rank their medical students is a question with no easy answer. There are many different factors that can affect a student’s ranking, from their grades to their extracurricular activities. However, one of the most important factors is how well they perform on their medical school exams. Medical schools use a variety of exams to test students’ knowledge, from the preclinical medical school exam to the clinical clerkship exam. Each of these exams carries a different weight, and students who perform well on them will typically see a boost in their ranking. In addition, medical schools often take into account a student’s residency placement when making rankings. Those who are placed in prestigious residency programs are typically given a higher ranking than those who are not.

Ultimately, there is no single factor that determines how medical schools rank medical students. Instead, it is a combination of many different factors that contribute to a student’s final ranking. To encourage teamwork, collaboration, and a focus on learning clinical skills, some schools only release student rankings during the 4th year. These rankings are typically only disclosed by the Dean during residency applications.

However, schools that use a Pass/Fail system without a numeric assignment do not rank students until the last two years of medical school, or not at all.

Grading and student ranking systems vary by school. Here is a complete list!

Standardizing the grading policy allows students across different universities, with different levels of achievement, to be compared. Unlike traditional 4-year universities, however, medical schools do not rank their students on a standardized scale. Some medical schools have a Pass/Fail grading policy, while others have a 4-5 point grading policy. Medical school grading policies become even more complex because some medical schools rank their students while others do not. In the table below, we compare which allopathic (MD) medical schools grade their students and rank their students.

Medical School	City, State	MD/DO	Grading Policy	Student Ranking
University of Alabama School of Medicine	Birmingham, Alabama Huntsville, Alabama Montgomery, Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama	MD	Pre-clinical: Pass/Fail Clinical: Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	No
University of South Alabama College of Medicine	Mobile, Alabama	MD	Pass/Fail with a student ranking numeric system	Yes
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine	Rochester, Minnesota Scottsdale, Arizona Phoenix, Arizona Jacksonville, Florida	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	No
University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson	Tucson, Arizona	MD	Pass/Fail	Yes
University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix	Phoenix, Arizona	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	No
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine	Little Rock, Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas	MD	Pass/Fail	Yes
California Northstate University College of Medicine	Elk Grove, California	MD	Honors/Pass/Fail	Yes, but ranking is only released in Dean’s letter and residency applications. Otherwise, it is not available.
California University of Science and Medicine	San Bernardino, California	MD	Honors/Pass/Fail	No
Charles R. Drew, University of Medicine and Science	Willowbrook, California	MD	Honors/Pass/Pass/Fail	Not available
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine	Pasadena, California	MD	Year 1 and 2 : Pass/Conditional Pass/Fail Year 3 and 4: Honors/Pass/Fail or Pass/Fail (varies by selectives)	Not available
Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California	Los Angeles, California	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail Year 4: Credit/No Credit	No
Loma Linda University School of Medicine	Loma Linda, California	MD	Pass/Fail Clerkships: Honors/High Pass/Pass Fail	No
Stanford University School of Medicine	Palo Alto, California	MD	Pre-clerkship courses and non-required clerkships: Pass/Fail Required Clerkships: Pass with Distinction can be earned based on Stanford’s Criterion Based Evaluation System (CBES)	No
University of California, Davis School of Medicine	Sacramento, California	MD	Pass/Fail	No
University of California, Irvine School of Medicine	Irvine, California	MD	Year 1: Pass/Fail Year 2-4: Honors/Pass/Fail	No
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA	Los Angeles, California	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail	Not available
California University of Science and Medicine – School of Medicine	Colton, California	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/ Pass/Fail	No
University of California, Riverside School of Medicine	Riverside, California	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: Honors/ High Pass/Pass/Fail	No
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine	San Diego, California	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail Year 4: Honors/Pass/Fail	No
University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine	San Francisco, California Fresno, California	MD	Pass/Fail	No
University of Colorado School of Medicine	Aurora, Colorado	MD	Phase 1 and 2: Pass/Fail Phase 3: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	No
Frank H. Netter M.D. School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University	North Haven, Connecticut	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	No
University of Connecticut School of Medicine	Farmington, Connecticut	MD	Pass/Fail	No
Yale School of Medicine	New Haven, Connecticut	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail	No
George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences	Washington, District of Columbia	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail	No
Georgetown University School of Medicine	Washington, District of Columbia	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail	Not available
Howard University College of Medicine	Washington, District of Columbia	MD	Honors/Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Year 3 clerkships have an additional ranking: HP (High Pass)	Not available
Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine	Boca Raton, Florida	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail Year 4: Pass/Fail	No
Florida International University Hebert Wertheim College of Medicine	Miami, Florida	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail Year 4: Pass/Fail	Ranking is used to identify the top 10% and report quartiles in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE).
Florida State University College of Medicine	Tallahassee, Florida	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/Pass/Fail	No
Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine	Davie, Florida	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: A, B, C, F	Not available
University of Central Florida College of Medicine	Orlando, Florida	MD	Hybrid system, includes: A/B/C/F, Honors/Pass/Fail and Pass/Fail	No, other than what is required for the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (Dean’s Letter) for residency applications
University of Florida College of Medicine	Gainesville, Florida Jacksonville, Florida	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: Numerical grading policy	Students are ranked in third and fourth year clerkships
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine	Miami, Florida	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: Numerical grading policy	Yes
USF Health Morsani College of Medicine	Tampa, Florida	MD	Not available	Not available
Emory University School of Medicine	Atlanta, Georgia< /td>	MD	First 18 months: Pass/Fail The rest of the curriculum: letter-graded	No
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University	Augusta, Georgia Athens, Georgia Albany, Georgia Rome, Georgia Savannah, Georgia Brunswick, Georgia	MD	First 18 months: Pass/Fail Grading policy thereafter vary by campus	Not available
Mercer University School of Medicine	Macon, Georgia Columbus, Georgia Savannah, Georgia	MD	Final course and program evaluations are reported as Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory	Yes, but ranking is only released in MSPE (Dean’s letter). Otherwise, it is not available.
Morehouse School of Medicine	Atlanta, Georgia	MD	Mostly letter grades, except 6 senior electives are Pass/Fail	No
University of Hawaii at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine	Honolulu, Hawaii	MD	Honors/Pass/Fail	No
Carle Illinois College of Medicine	Champaign, Illinois	MD	Phase 1: Pass/Fail Phase 2-3: Honors/Pass/Fail	Not available
Loyola University of Chicago Stritch School of Medicine	Maywood, Illinois	MD	Pass/Fail	Not available
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine	Chicago, Illinois	MD	Pass/pass after remediation in phase 1. Honors/High Pass/Pass in clerkships.	No
Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science	North Chicago, Illinois	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail Year 4: Variable	No
Rush Medical College	Chicago, Illinois	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	After M3, students are provided quartile rankings in preparation for MSPE
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine	Springfield, Illinois	MD	Pre-clerkship: Pass/Fail Clerkship: Honors, Pass, and Fail	No
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine	Chicago, Illinois	MD	Pass/Fail	Only during third year
University of Illinois College of Medicine	Chicago, Illinois Peoria, Illinois Rockford, Illinois	MD	Phase 1: Pass/Fail Phase 2-3: Outstanding/Proficient/Advanced/Proficient	No, other than what is required for the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (Dean’s Letter) for residency applications
Indiana University School of Medicine	Indianapolis, Indiana	MD	Pre-clerkship: Pass/Fail Clerkship: Honors, Pass, and Fail	No
University of Iowa Roy J. And Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine	Iowa City, Iowa	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: Honors, Near Honors, Pass, and Fail	No
University of Kansas School of Medicine	Kansas City, Kansas Wichita, Kansas Salina, Kansas	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3: Pass with Distinction/Pass/Fail Year 4: Not Available	Yes
University of Kentucky College of Medicine	Lexington, Kentucky	MD	Pass/Fail	Student quartile reported on MSPE
University of Louisville School of Medicine	Louisville, Kentucky	MD	Honors/Pass/Fail	Yes
Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans	New Orleans, Louisiana	MD	Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	Yes, by quartile
Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport	Shreveport, Louisiana	MD	Pass/Fail	Not available
Tulane University School of Medicine	New Orleans, Louisiana	MD	Pass/Fail	Not available
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine	Baltimore, Maryland	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: 4 tier grading policy	Not available
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine	Bethesda, Maryland	MD	Honors/Pass/Fail	No
University of Maryland School of Medicine	Baltimore, Maryland	MD	Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	For the MSPE, third year students are informed of their ranking in the upper, middle, or lower third of the class.
Boston University School of Medicine	Boston, Massachusetts	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	No
Harvard Medical School	Boston, Massachusetts	MD	Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory	No
Tufts University School of Medicine	Boston, Massachusetts	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Low Pass/Fail	No
University of Massachusetts Medical School	Worcester, Massachusetts	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: High Honors, Honors, Pass, and Fail	No
Central Michigan University College of Medicine	Mount Pleasant, Michigan	MD	Pass/Fail	No
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine	East Lansing, Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan Flint, Michigan	MD	Pass/Fail	No
University of Michigan Medical School	Ann Arbor, Michigan	MD	Pre-clerkship: Satisfactory/fail Clerkship: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	No
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine	Rochester, Michigan	MD	Year 1-2: Honors/Pass/Pass with Remediation/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Pass with Remediation/Fail	Students are ranked in quartiles for Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
Wayne State University School of Medicine	Detroit, Michigan	MD	Pass/Fail with honors	Participate in AOA
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine	Kalamazoo, Michigan	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	No
University of Minnesota Medical School	Minneapolis, Minnesota Duluth, Minnesota	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/No Pass Year 3-4: Honors/Excellent/Satisfactory/No Pass	No
University of Mississippi School of Medicine	Jacksonville, Mississippi	MD	4 point scale	No
Saint Louis University School of Medicine	St. Louis, Missouri	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/Near-Honors/Pass/Fail	No
University of Missouri- Columbia School of Medicine	Columbia, Missouri	MD	Year 1: Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory Year 2: Honors/ Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory Year 3-4: Honors/ Letters of Commendation/ Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory	Graduates are ranked into 1 of 5 groups: Exemplary, Superior, Very Strong, Strong, and Satisfactory
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine	Kansas City, Missouri	MD	Not Available	No
Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine	St. Louis, Missouri	MD	Phase 1: Pass/Fail Phase 2-3: Variable	No
Creighton University School of Medicine	Omaha, Nebraska	MD	Honors/Pass/Fail	No
University of Nebraska College of Medicine	Omaha, Nebraska	MD	Pass/Fail	Students are ranked according to their performance under the Pass/Fail grading policy.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine	Las Vegas, Nevada	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail	No
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine	Reno, Nevada	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	Not available
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth	Hanover, New Hampshire	MD	Pre-clerkship: Pass/Fail Clerkship: Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail	No
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University	Camden, New Jersey	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Unsatisfactory Year 3-4: Pass/ High Pass/ Honors/ Unsatisfactory	No
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine	Nutley, New Jersey	MD	Pre-clerkship: Pass/Fail Clerkship: Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail	No
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School	Newark, New Jersey	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Conditional Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail/Incomplete	No
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School	Piscataway, New Jersey New Brunswick, New Jersey	MD	Pre-clerkship: Pass/Fail Clerkship: Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail	No
University of New Mexico School of Medicine	Albuquerque, New Mexico	MD	Phase 1: Credit/No Credit Phase 2-3: Letter Grade	Students are ranked in Phase 2 only.
Albany Medical College	Albany, New York	MD	Excellent with Honors/Excellent/Good/Marginal/Unsatisfactory	Yes, but student ranking is not shared outside of the university.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine	The Bronx, New York	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/ Fail Clinical years: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Low Pass/Fail	No
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons	Manhattan, New York	MD	Fundamentals: Pass/Fail Clinical: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	Not available
CUNY School of Medicine	New York, New York	MD	Year 1-3: A, B, C, F Year 4-5: Pass/Fail Year 6-7: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	No
Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell	Hempstead, New York	MD	Core Courses: Pass/Fail Clinical Clerkship first 100 weeks: Pass/Fail Clinical Clerkship second100 weeks: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail/Conditional Pass	No
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai	Manhattan, New York	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	No
New York Medical College	Valhalla, New York	MD	Pre-clerkship courses: Pass/Fail Required clerkships: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail Elective clerkships: Credit/No Credit	Students are ranked in quartiles for Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)
New York Grossman University School of Medicine	Manhattan, New York	MD	Pre-clerkship courses and non-required clerkships: Pass/ Fail Required Clerkships: Honors/ High Pass/Pass/ Fail	No
New York University Long Island School of Medicine	Mineola, New York	MD	Phase I (Pre-Clerkship): Pass/Fail Phase II (Clerkship): Honors/ High Pass/Pass/ Fail	Not available
Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University	Stony Brook, New York	MD	In Phase 1, Biomedical Building Blocks, ICM, TiME, and MCS are graded Pass/Fail. The integrated pathophysiology courses in Phase 1 are graded High Pass/Pass/Fail. Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical courses are graded Honors/High Pass/Pass/Low Pass/Fail	No
State University of New York Upstate Medical University	Syracuse, New York	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	Yes, at the end of third year
State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine	Brooklyn, New York	MD	Pre-clinical: Pass/Fail Clinical: 5-tier grading policy	Yes
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo	Buffalo, New York	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Satisfactory/Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory	No
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry	Rochester, New York	MD	Pre-clerkship courses: Pass/ Fail Required clerkships: Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail	Students are ranked in the MSPE into 1 of 4 groups: Outstanding (20%), Excellent (20%), Very Good (55%) and Good (5%)
Weill Cornell Medical College	Manhattan, New York	MD	Pre-clerkship courses: Pass/ Fail Clerkships: Honors, High Pass, Pass, and Fail	No
Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University	Greenville, North Carolina	MD	Letter grading for all years: A, B, C, F	No
Duke University School of Medicine	Durham, North Carolina	MD	Year 1: Pass/ Fail Year 2-4: Honors/Pass/Fail	No
University of North Carolina School of Medicine	Chapel Hill, North Carolina	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/Fail Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	Not available
Wake Forest School of Medicine	Winston-Salem, North Carolina	MD	Foundations courses: Pass/ Fail All other courses: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Low Pass/Fail	Not available
University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences	Grand Forks, North Dakota Bismarck, North Dakota Fargo, North Dakota Minot, North Dakota	MD	Satisfactory/ S- (pass with reexamination)/ Unsatisfactory	Ranking is used for MSPE
Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University	Dayton, Ohio	MD	Foundations phase: Pass/Fail Core clerkships: Honors/Pass/Fail Advanced doctoring phase: Pass/Fail	Not available
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine	Cleveland, Ohio	MD	Pass/Fail	No
Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine	Rootstown, Ohio	MD	Honors/H igh Pass/Pass//Fail	Ranking is used for MSPE
The Ohio State University College of Medicine	Columbus, Ohio	MD	SatisfactoryUnsatisfactory/Progress Honors is only used internally (not on transcript)	Students are ranked in quartiles
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine	Cincinnati, Ohio	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Fail Year 3-4: Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	In third and fourth year, students are ranked in quartiles
University of Toledo College of Medicine	Toledo, Ohio	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Fail Year 3-4: Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	Students are ranked for AOA selection
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Fail Year 3-4: A, B, C, D, F	Students are ranked in quartiles
Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine	Portland, Oregon	MD	Foundations: Pass/ No Pass Clinical Experiences: A, B, C, D, F or Pass/ No Pass	Not available
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine	Scranton, Pennsylvania Danville, Pennsylvania Sayre, Pennsylvania Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Fail Year 3-4: Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	Ranking is used in third year for MSPE
Drexel University College of Medicine	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/ Fail Clinical years: Honors/Highly Satisfactory/Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory	No
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine	Hershey, Pennsylvania	MD	Pre-clinical years: Pass/Fail Clinical years: May be graded	No
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	MD	Module 1 and 2: Pass/Fail Module 3 and 4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Low Pass/Unsatisfactory	No
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	MD	Pre-clinical: Pass/Fail Clinical: Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail	By upper, middle, and lower third
Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Fail Year 3-4: Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	No
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	MD	Year 1-2: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Year 3-4: Honors/High Pass/Pass/ Low Pass/ Unsatisfactory	No
Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine	Bayamón, Puerto Rico	MD	Letter grading: A, B, C Some courses are Honors/ Pass/ Fail	No
Ponce School of Medicine	Ponce, Puerto Rico	MD	Pass/Fail	Not available
San Juan Bautista School of Medicine	Caguas, Puerto Rico	MD	Numeric	No
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine	San Juan, Puerto Rico	MD	Superior/High Satisfactory/Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory	Not available
Alpert Medical School at Brown University	Providence, Rhode Island	MD	Pre-clerkship: Satisfactory/ No Credit Clerkship: Honors/ Satisfactory/ No Credit	Not available
Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine	Charleston, South Carolina	MD	Pass/ Fail	Not available
University of South Carolina School of Medicine	Columbia, South Carolina	MD	Numeric (A, B+, B, C+, C, D, F)	Yes
University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greensville	Greensville, South Carolina	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Fail Year 3-4: Letter grading policy	Yes
University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine	Vermillion, South Dakota Rapid City, South Dakota Yankton, South Dakota	MD	A, B, C, D, F	No
East Tennessee State University James H. Quillen College of Medicine	Johnson City, Tennessee	MD	Mixed	Yes
Meharry Medical College School of Medicine	Nashville, Tennessee	MD	Not available	Not available
University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center College of Medicine	Memphis, Tennessee Chattanooga, Tennessee Knoxville, Tennesse	MD	A, B, C, D, F	Yes
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine	Nashville, Tennessee	MD	Foundations courses: Pass/ Fail All other courses: Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	Students are ranked in quartiles
Baylor College of Medicine	Houston, Texas	MD	Foundational Science Courses: Pass/ Fail Clinical Years: Honors/ High Pass/MarginalPass/ Fail	No
Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine	College Station, Texas Bryan, Texas Dallas, Texas Houston, Texas Round Rock, Texas Temple, Texas	MD	Honors/ Pass/ Fail	Yes
TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine	Fort Worth, Texas	MD	Phase 1: Pass/ Fail Phase 2-3: Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	Not available
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine	El Paso, Texas	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Fail Year 3-4: Honors/ Pass/ fail	No
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine	Lubbock, Texas Amarillo, Texas Odessa, Texas	MD	Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	No
University of Houston, College of Medicine	Houston, Texas	MD	Not available	Not available
University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine	Galveston, Texas	MD	Pass/Fail	No
McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston	Houston, Texas	MD	Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Below Pass/ Fail	No
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine	San Antonio, Texas	MD	Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	Internal rankings for pre-clerkship courses. Quartile rankings for MSPE
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine	Edinburg, Texas	MD	Pass/Fail	Internal rankings
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School of Dallas	Dallas, Texas	MD	Pre-clerkship: Pass/ Fail Core clerkship: Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail Elective clerkship: Honors/ Pass/ Fail	Quartile rankings
University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School	Austin, Texas	MD	Pass/ Fail	Not available
University of Utah School of Medicin e	Salt Lake City, Utah	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Fail Year 3-4: Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	No
University of Vermont College of Medicine	Burlington, Vermont	MD	Pass/ Fail	No
Eastern Virginia Medical School	Norfolk, Virginia	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Fail Year 3-4: Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	No
University of Virginia School of Medicine	Charlottesville, Virginia Falls Church, Virginia	MD	Pre-clerkship: Pass/ Fail Clerkship: Graded	No
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine	Richmond, Virginia	MD	First 3 semesters and 4th year electives are Pass/ Fail. Third year clerkships and required fourth year classes are Honors/ High Pass/ Pass/ Fail	Not available
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute	Roanoke, Virigina	MD	Pass/ Fail	No
University of Washington School of Medicine	Seattle, Washington	MD	Pass/ Fail during the first 18 months	No
Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine	Spokane, Washington	MD	Pass/ Fail	Not available
Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University	Huntington, West Virginia	MD	Year 1-2: Pass/ Fail Year 3-4: Honors/ Pass/ fail	No
West Virginia University School of Medicine	Morgantown, West Virginia Charleston, West Virginia Martinsburg, West Virginia	MD	Honors (only available to the top 15% of the class)/ Pass/ Fail	Students are ranked in quartiles during the third year
Medical College of Wisconsin	Milwaukee, Wisconsin Green Bay, Wisconsin Wausau, Wisconsin	MD	Pass/ Fail	No
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health	Madison, Wisconsin	MD	Satisfactory/ Unsatisfactory	Ranking is used for MSPE

A list of U.S. Allopathic (MD) medical schools that compares ranking and grading systems for their medical students.

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